prevalent among the fex, that no woman continues long in it but because he is not invited to forfake it; from the difpofition always fhewn to treat old maids as the refufe of the world; and from the willingness with which it is often quitted at laft, by thofe whofe experience has enabled them to judge at leifure, and decide with authority.

Yet fuch is life, that whatever is propofed, it is much easier to find reafons for rejecting than embracing. Marriage, though a certain fecurity from the reproach and folitude of antiquated virginity, has yet, as it is ufually conducted, many difadvantages, that take away much from the pleasure which fociety promifes, and might afford, if pleafures and pains were honeftly fhared, and mutual confidence inviolably preferved.

The miferies, indeed, which many ladies fuffer under conjugal vexations, are to be confidered with great pity, becaufe their husbands are often not taken by them as objects of affection, but forced upon them by authority and violence, or by perfuafion and importunity, equally refiitlefs when urged by those whom they have been always accustomed to reverence and obey; and it very feldom appears, that thofe who are thus defpotick in the difpofal of their children, pay any regard to their domestick and perfonal felicity, or think it fo much to be enquired whether they will be happy, as whether they will be rich.

It may be urged, in extenuation of this crime, which parents, not in any other refpect to be numbered with robbers and affaffins, frequently commit, that, in their eftimation, riches and happiness are equivalent terms. They have paffed their lives with no other with than that of adding acre to acre, and filling one bag after another,and imagine the advantage of a daughter fufficiently confidered, when they have fecured her a large jointure, and given her reasonable expectations of living in the midst of thofe pleasures with which he had feen her father and mother folacing their age.

There is an economical oracle received among the prudential part of the world, which advifes fathers to marry their daughters left they should marry themselves; by which I fuppofe it is implied, that women left to their own conduct, generally unite themselves with fuch partners as can contribute very little to their felicity. Who was the author

of this maxim, or with what intention it was originally uttered, I have not yet difcovered; but imagine that, however folemnly it may be tranfmitted, or however implicitly received, it can confer no authority which nature has denied; it cannot licenfe Titius to be unjust, left Caia should be imprudent; nor give right to imprifon for life, left liberty fhould be ill employed.

That the ladies have fometimes incurred imputations which might naturally produce edicts not much in their favour, must be confeffed by their warmeft advocates; and I have indeed feldom obferved, that when the tenderness or virtue of their parents has preferved them from forced marriage, and left them at large to chufe their own path in the labyrinth of life, they have made any great advantage of their liberty: they commonly take the opportunity of independence to trifle away youth, and lofe their bloom in a hurry of diverfions, recurring in a fucceffion too quick to leave room for any fettled reflection; they fee the world without gaining experience, and at laft regulate their choice by motives trifling as thofe of a girl, or mer cenary as thofe of a mifer.

Melanthia came to town upon the death of her father, with a very large fortune, and with the reputation of a much larger; fhe was therefore followed and careffed by many men of rank, and by fome of understanding; but having an infatiable defire of pleafure, the was not at leifure, from the park, the gardens, the theatres, vifits, affemblies, and maf, querades, to attend feriously to any propofal, but was still impatient for a new flatterer, and neglected marriage as always in her power; till in time her admirers fell away, wearied with expence, difgufted at her folly, or offended by her inconftancy; fhe heard of concerts to which fhe was not invited, and was more than once forced to fit ftill at an affembly for want of a partner. In this diftrefs, chance threw in her way Philotryphus, a man vain, glittering, and thoughtless as herself, who had spent a fmall fortune in equipage and drefs, and was fhining in the laft fuit for which his tailor would give him credit. He had been long endeavouring to retrieve his extravagance by marriage, and therefore foon paid his court to Melanthia, who, after fome weeks of infenfibility, faw him at a ball, and was wholly overcome

by

by his performance in a minuet. They married; but a man cannot always dance, and Philotryphus had no other method of pleafing: however, as neither was in any great degree vicious, they Live together with no other unhappinels than vacuity of mind, and that tasteleffnefs of life which proceeds from a fatiety of juvenile pleasures, and an utter inability to fill their place by nobler employments. As they have known the fashionable world at the fame time, they agree in their notions of all thofe fubjects on which they ever speak; and being able to add nothing to the ideas of each other, are not much inclined to converfation, but very often join in one with- That they could fleep more, and think lefs.'

Argyris, after having refufed a thoufand offers, at laft confented to marry Cotylus, the younger brother of a duke, a man without elegance of mien, beauty of perfon, or force of understanding; who, while he courted her, could not always forbear allufions to her birth, and hints how cheaply the would purchafe an alliance to fo illuftrious a family. His conduct from the hour of his marriage has been infufferably tyrannical; nor has he any other regard to her than what arifes from his defire that her appearance may not difgrace him. Upon this principle, however, he always orders that the fhould be gaily drefled, and fplendidly attended; and he has, among all her mortifications, the happincis to take place of her eldest fifter."

IT

T has been remarked, that authors are genus irritabile-a generation very eafly put out of temper;and that they feldorn fail of giving proofs of their irafcibility upon the flightest attack of criticifm, or the most gentle or modeft offer of advice and information.

Writers being beft acquainted with one another, have reprefented this character as prevailing among men of literature, which a more extenfive view of the world would have fhewn them to be diffufed through all human nature, to mingle itfelf with every species of ambition and defire of praise, and to difcover it's effects with greater or lefs retraint, and under difguifes more or lefs artful, in all places and all conditions.

The quarrels of writers, indeed, are more obferved, because they neceffarily appeal to the decifion of the publick. Their enmities are incited by applaufes from their parties, and prolonged by treacherous encouragement for general divertion; and when the conteft happens

to rife high between men of genius and learning, it's memory is continued for the fame reafon as it's vehemence was at first promoted, becaule it gratifies the malevolence or curiosity of readers, and relieves the vacancies of life with amufement and laughter. The perfonal difputes, therefore, of rivals in wit are fometimes tranfmitted to pofterity, when the grudges and heart-burnings of men lefs confpicuous, though carried on with equal bitternels, and productive of greater evils, are expofed to the knowledge of thofe only whom they nearly affect, and fuffered to pafs off and be forgotten among common and cafual tranfactions.

The refentment which the difcovery of a fault or folly produces, muft bear a certain proportion to our pride, and will regularly be more acrimonious, as pride is more immediately the principle of action. In whatever, therefore, we with or imagine ourselves to excel, we shall always be difpleafed to have our claims to reputation difputed, and more dif

pleafed,

pleafed, if the accomplishment be fuch as can expect reputation only for it's reward. For this reafon, it is common to find men break out into rage at any infinuations to the difadvantage of their wit, who have borne with great patience reflections on their morals; and of women it has been always known, that no cenfure wounds fo deeply, or rankles fo long, as that which charges them with want of beauty.

As men frequently fill their imaginations with trifling purfuits, and pleafe themselves moft with things of finall importance, I have often known very fevere and lafting malevolence excited by unlucky cenfures, which would have fallen without any effect, had they not happened to wound a part remarkably tender. Guftulus, who valued himself upon the nicety of his palate, difinherited his eldest fon for telling him that the wine, which he was then commending, was the fame which he had fent away the day before, not fit to be drunk. Proculus withdrew his kindness from a nephew, whom he had always confidered as the most promifing genius of the age, for happening to praise in his prefence the graceful horfemanship of Marius. And Fortunio, when he was privy-counsellor, procured a clerk to be difiniffed from one of the publick offices, in which he was eminent for his fkill and affiduity, becaufe he had been heard to fay, that there was another man in the kingdom on whofe fkill at billiards he would lay his money against Fortunio's.

Felicia and Floretta had been bred up in one houfe, and fhared all the pleasures and endearments of infancy together. They entered upon life at the fame time, and continuedtheir confidence and friendfhip; confulted each other in every change of their drefs, and every admiflion of a new lover, thought every diverfion more entertaining, whenever it happened that both were prefent; and, when feparated, justified the conduct, and celebrated the excellences of one another. Such was their intimacy, and fuch their fidelity; till a birth-night approached, when Floretta took one morning an opportunity, as they were confulting upon new cloaths, to advife her friend not to dance at the ball, and informed her that her performance the year before had not anfwered the expectation which her other accomplishments had raifed. Felicia com

mended her fincerity, and thanked her for the caution; but told her that she danced to please herself, and was in very little concern what the men might take the liberty of faying, but that if her appearance gave her dear Floretta any uneafinefs, fhe would stay away. Floretta had now nothing left but to make new proteftations of fincerity and affection, with which Felicia was fo well fatisfied, that they parted with more than usual fondnefs. They ftill continued to vifit, with this only difference, that Felicia was more punctual than before, and often declared how high a value fhe put upon fincerity, how much the thought that goodness to be esteemed which would venture to admonish a friend of an error, and with what gratitude advice was to be received, even when it might happen to proceed from mistake.

In a few months Felicia, with great feriousness, told Floretta, that though her beauty was fuch as gave charms to whatever the did, and her qualifications fo extenfive, that he could not fail of excellence in any attempt, yet fhe thought herself obliged by the duties of friendfhip to inform her, that if ever she betrayed want of judgment, it was by too frequent compliance with folicitations to fing, for that her manner was fomewhat ungraceful, and her voice had no great compafs. It is true, fays Floretta, when I fung three nights ago at Lady Sprightly's, I was hoarfe with a cold; but I fing for my own fatisfaction, and am not in the leaft pain whether I am liked. However, my dear Felicia's kindness is not the lefs; and I 'fhall always think myfelf happy in fo true a friend."

From this time they never faw each other without mutual profeffions of efteem, and declarations of confidence, but went foon after into the country to vifit their relations. When they came back, they were prevailed on, by the importunity of new acquaintance, to take lodgings in different parts of the town, and had frequent occafion, when they met, to bewail the distance at which they were placed, and the uncertainty which each experienced of finding the other at home.

Thus are the fondeft and firmest friendfhips diffolved, by fuch openness and fincerity as interrupt our enjoyment of our own approbation, or recal us to the

remem

remembrance of thofe failings which we are more willing to indulge than to correct.

It is by no means neceffary to imagine, that he who is offended at advice, was ignorant of the fault, and resents the admonition as a falfe charge; for perhaps it is moft natural to be enraged when there is the ftrongeft conviction of our own guilt. While we can easily defend our character, we are no more difturbed at an accufation than we are alarmed by an enemy whom we are fure to conquer; and whofe attack, therefore, will bring us honour without danger. But when a man feels the reprehenfion of a friend feconded by his own heart, he is eafily heated into refentment and revenge, either because he hoped that the fault of which he was confcious had escaped the notice of others; or that his friend had looked upon it with tenderness and extenuation, and excufed it for the fake of his other virtues; or had confidered him as too wife to need advice, or too delicate to be hocked with reproach: or, because we cannot feel, without pain, thofe reflections roufed which we have been endeavouring to lay asleep; and when pain has produced anger, who would not willingly believe, that it ought to be difcharged on others, rather than on him felf?

The refentment produced by fincerity, whatever be it's immediate caufe, is fo certain, and generally fo keen, that very few have magnanimity fufficent for the practice of a duty, which, above most

others, expofes it's votaries to hardships and perfecutions; yet friendship without it is of very little value, fince the great ufe of fo close an intimacy is that our virtues may be guarded and encouraged, and our vices repressed in their first appearance by timely detection and falutary remonftrances.

It is decreed by Providence, that nothing truly valuable shall be obtained in our prefent state, but with difficulty and danger. He that hopes for that advantage which is to be gained from unreftrained communication, must sometimes hazard, by unpleafing truths, that friendfhip which he afpires to merit. The chief rule to be obferved in the exercise of this dangerous office, is to preferve it pure from all mixture of interest or vanity; to forbear admonition or reproof, when our confciences tell us that they are incited, not by the hopes of reforming faults, but the defire of fhewing our difcernment, or gratifying our own pride by the mortification of another. It is not indeed certain that the most refined caution will find a proper time for bringing a man to the knowledge of his ownt failings, or the moft zealous benevolence reconcile him to that judgment by which they are detected; but he who endeavours only the happinefs of him whom he reproves, will always have either the fatisfaction of obtaining or deferving kindness; if he fucceeds, he benefits his friend; and, if he fails, he has at least the confcioufnefs that he fuffers for only doing well.

MART.

F. LEWIS.

up with objects adequate to the mind of man, and fo frequently are we in want of prefent pleasure or employment, that we are forced to have recourfe every moment to the past and future for fupplimental fatisfactions, and relieve the

of former paffages, or anticipation of